What is Account-Based Ticketing (ABT)?
Members of the mobile ticketing community are increasingly interested in ticketing systems that rely less on “card-centric” solutions – where data is stored in portable objects and managed by terminals – in favour of “server-centric” solutions where data is stored and managed in a remote data centre.
In a ticketing system where portable objects contain only an identifier, all data related to the passenger’s ticketing is stored in a remote account. This is the basis of what we call “account-based ticketing” (ABT).
What are the benefits of ABT?
- Improved customer experience by providing pay-as-you-go fares
- Reduced operational costs, less complexity and reliance on hardware, enabled by moving to a centralised system
- Greater insights, flexibility and control for public transport operators
- Easier integration with MaaS systems
How does Calypso support ABT?
Calypso helps operators to manage additional risks that are not present in traditional card-centric systems. One of the biggest risks is potential network issues that would prevent remote validity checks.
To manage these risks, the Calypso standard enables ABT systems to make decisions based on data securely stored within the customer’s media.
The guarantee of uniqueness, and strict management of the Calypso Serial Number for each Calypso Portable Object, enables the customer’s media to be used as the ABT identifier. This makes the Calypso standard highly suited for ABT systems and allows card-centric and ABT systems to operate easily side-by-side.
To learn more about ABT, its challenges and its benefits, read our ABT white paper and check out our collaborative whitepaper with OSPT Alliance: Why consider open standards for Account-Based Ticketing
CNA members who want to know more about using the Calypso standard for Account Based Ticketing can access our ABT guidelines, produced by our working group of transport operators and ticketing system suppliers.
